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Sunday, February 1, 2009

Obama's Christian Faith





Many have questioned whether or not Obama is an authentic Christian,  or if it matters.  I am of the opinion that it does,  and that  he is...

My husband and I considered ourselves "Kierkegaardian Christians".  That is,  we believed in the principles of Christianity as set forth in the edifying discourse of the philosopher Soren Kierkegaard.  He was an early 19th century Danish philosopher who is considered the father of existentialism.  He attacked the organized Christendom of his era,  but believed that Jesus was the essential truth of existence.  His Christianity was one of "fear and trembling"  before the choice:  either the temporal world, or the eternal.  The latter was the only authentic life.  Good deeds were necessary,  but it was the authentic "inwardness"  of the individual's belief  and faith in Jesus which was the core issue.  Mankind in general he held to be false:  cunning,  trying to con God into believing they were Christian by organizing the Church. 








For Kierkegaard,  suffering and adversity were paths to God and salvation.  Whatever caused one to become disillusioned with the world of men could be transformed by the individual into a bond with the authentic Savior.  Having read "Dreams of My Father",  I would say that Barack Obama suffered and began his inward journey to faith.  I have never doubted the authenticity of his Christianity,  though he has sins and flaws as any human.  For an essay on  his Christian journey,  here is a link to "Finding His Faith"  :  :http://www.newsweek.com/id/145971

Soren Kierkegaard on Christianity:

"I cannot pray in the name of Jesus for my own will;  the name of the Christ is not a signature of no importance,  but is the decisive factor."
" To stand on one leg and prove the existence of God  differs vastly from falling on one's knees and thanking Him."  


"The paradox of Christian truth is invariably due to the fact  that it is the truth that exists for God.  The standard and measure of the end is thus supra-human,  and only one relationship is possible:  faith.  "   From the Journals of Soren Kierkegaard

  

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